Taking into account some of the narration in the album, the Michael Trim machine design and the forth coming CGI film, I am begining to wonder if the 'Heat Ray' gun will be turned into a multi-purpose device, used for not only firing the 15,000 degree Heat Ray but also used as a Black Smoke discharger, releases the smoke instead of the books way of cannisters, the steam which is sprayed upon the Black Smoke and a light/torch - 'a beam of light, like a warships search light swept the common and the Heat Ray was ready to follow'.

I think this would be a cool use for the gun, not only multi-purpose but also confined to one device.

Looking at the blue prints from the Galaxy poster again and the Thunder Child cover picture, I would have though the black circular hole above the Heat-Ray was the light and I have always imagined the pods on the sides where the stabilizing struts attach to the body, housed the black smoke capsules, the description of the capsules is written under one of the pods on the blue prints anyway. As for the steam I have never thought about it.

Its interesting to note the changes that have come about. The original Mike Trim drawings from 1976 show the side hood pods that house the stabalizers with 'no' facial detail. The revised image or finished image is that of 'Thunder Child' which show the pods with details. The right pod is fitted with a 'orange' covered light, the left pod has a dark opening. Though the diagrams that Trim did in 1976 don't show this detail we can only assume to what they can be. My theory is that the right pod is a light, the left is the Black Smoke discharger.

The circular opening beneath the eye's and just above the hatch of the Heat Ray is the speaker (shown in black).

For the CGI movie, the pods are changed. Both have dark eyelets instead of the album cover design of coned light and opening leading me to think that the Heat Ray gun has been altered to discharge not only the Heat Ray but also the Black Smoke, steam and light source.

The scale of the fighting machines in the artwork always seems a bit off to me. The Fighting Machine taking on The Thunder Child on the front cover seems enormous. The ship is much closer to the viewer and yet the fighting machine is way bigger.The martian inside must be tiny in comparison to the machine itself.

On Trims blue prints (Galaxy Poster) It does show detail of the stabilizing strut pod, admittedly the front view is only scetched in lightly, but the top view and side view show the opening clearly with what looks like a Black smoke capsules inside. on the Thunder Child cover painting I don't think they are orange covered lights, I think the orange is just reflected from the burning ship, the whole under side of the Fighting Machine is reflecting orange. you say the pod on the left is a dark opening this is because the capsule has been dicharged (QUOTE from the album 'The Martians released their Black Smoke, But the ship sped on)
Where have you heard that the opening above the heat-ray is a speaker? In Peter Elson's painting for Gallaxy Posters it looks very much like the parabolic reflector of a light. I'm not saying you are wrong, but that's how I interpret it.

On Trims blue prints (Galaxy Poster) It does show detail of the stabilizing strut pod, admittedly the front view is only scetched in lightly, but the top view and side view show the opening clearly with what looks like a Black smoke capsules inside. on the Thunder Child cover painting I don't think they are orange covered lights, I think the orange is just reflected from the burning ship, the whole under side of the Fighting Machine is reflecting orange. you say the pod on the left is a dark opening this is because the capsule has been dicharged (QUOTE from the album 'The Martians released their Black Smoke, But the ship sped on)Where have you heard that the opening above the heat-ray is a speaker? In Peter Elson's painting for Gallaxy Posters it looks very much like the parabolic reflector of a light. I'm not saying you are wrong, but that's how I interpret it.

I don't use the PE illustration as a basis as PE was 'not' a commisioned artist for the album. The right side pod was finally used as a light, it was also made into a light (both pods) for one of the promo videos, though the left side pod on the TC painting differs, and when I asked Jeff about it the reply was 'Hmmm, interesting theory'. The circular opening beneath the eye's is the speaker, 1/ its in line with the Martian occupant while sitting in the front section of the cockpit and 2/ I heard it from the man himself.

Speaker is interesting. In the good book the Martians crys are thought to be the clearing of the airways before feeding and not language. It is believed that the martians are telepathic and comincate in thought. So they would have no need for a loud speaker. Also if they did comunicate using sound, they repeated themselves a lot and a loud speaker seems a bit low tech.
The only use it would have therefor is to intimidate.
The Martian hoots in the book are extremely loud with no electronic help.

As for the fighting machine designs they have obviously been refined and modified over the years. The only certainty is the CGI Movie will reveal all. Can't wait.

Another interesting thing will be how the first Martian appears from the cylander. In the PC and Playstation game, the Martian comes up and right out on a mechanical arm. The heatray comes out similar. In the book the Martians drag themselves out with great effort.

I think lonesome is right about the orange glow caught on the under side of the tripod, making it look a little like lights. That may have changed since but that is what it was back then.

Speaker is interesting. In the good book the Martians crys are thought to be the clearing of the airways before feeding and not language. It is believed that the martians are telepathic and comincate in thought. So they would have no need for a loud speaker. Also if they did comunicate using sound, they repeated themselves a lot and a loud speaker seems a bit low tech. The only use it would have therefor is to intimidate. The Martian hoots in the book are extremely loud with no electronic help.

This is where confusion sets in. The Martians themselves do hoot and as H.G decsribes in the book during 'What We Saw From The Ruined House' that before feeding the Martians amit a sound like a 'hoot'. This must not be compared to the Fighting Machines call signs. During the early part of the war, people observe the machines calling sound of 'Aloo', later in Book Two its changed to 'Ulla', more popular with readers during the passing of the invaders. The sounds of 'Ulla' are released through some sort of speaker on the machine and is not the actual Martian itself calling.

Don't forget, we have the H.G. Wells machines and then we have the Micheal Trim machines.

The pods on the original 1976 sketches and schematics don't show any details added to them, they are left blank with just the stabalizer arms coming from them. The album (final) design shows the details, the CGI 'test' only shots - test as these can still be changed, show that both pods have either cut-outs containing vents, devices or grills mounted into them.

Sounds good I like my Fighting Machines big and scary sounding but what do they use the sounds for?

The sounds amitted from the machines is described as going up and down in scale - maybe its some sort of guidence or distance system. In the book, H.G tells of the Martians attack when they release the 'Black Smoke' for the first time. Each machine as H.G describes is standing in a cresent with a good distance between each one. With such a great distance between each machine, the machines calls of 'Aloo' could be heard better than the actual Martian itself 'hooting'.

You misunderstand me me thinks. No I can see why he didn't use Aloo. It wouldn't sound good in the style Jeff went for.
No what I meant was, why do the Martain Fighting Machines emit any sound at all from there speakers? Wht is the purpose of their sounds?

Ahhhhhhh got ya , erm effect I guess. Would sound pretty damn scary if you ask me. Not only is it scary being chased by 100ft tall tower of metal armed with a gun that spat 15,000 temp invisible heat at me, having it howling too would make me run even faster

HC is right here Loz, the hooting and the Aloos/Ullas are not the same thing.The Aloos/Ullas are created by the fighting Machines themselves QUOTE from the good book "The one had died, even as it had been crying to its companions; perhaps it was the last to die, and its voice had gone on perpetually until the force of its machinery was exhausted.

But why they Aloos/Ullas ????????? Maybe their telepathic ability is only short range and they use the sounds for long distance communication who knows?

HC is right too I reckon. And that's what I thought. I also think it is possible they just howl for the shear pleasure of it. Or kind of like marking your territory.
I just wanted to know if in Jeff's version he had come up with his own diffinintive reason for the machine noise.
I like the idea of short range telepathy Lonesome. I had never thought of that.
I'll tell you one thing I'm looking forward to those bellows, belting out of Jeff Wayne Fighting Machines.

I'm not sure about that. The heatray is a box with a mirror. One of the prhensile tenicals holds it. So it cant contain water, needed for steam. I think they spray the steam from some other method. If you check out Lonesome Crows paintings the one titled The Black Smoke seems a likely method.

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